Washing-machine



UNITED sTATEs A'rnivr clinica.

WILLIAM GOVEN, OF VAUSAU, VISCONSIN.

WASI-IIN G-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 29,160, dated July 17, 1860.

T o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM GowEN, of Vausau, in the county of Marathon and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and Improved Combined Table and lashing- Machine; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a longitudinal vertical section of my invention, the line m, Fig. 2 indicating the plane of section. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same, the table top being removed in order to expose the working parts of the washing machine.

Similar letters of reference in both views indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in arranging in the interior'of the frame of a table, a stationary corrugated washboard in combination with a corrugated reciprocating spring rubber, the latter being held down on the washboard by means of oscillating hooks and to be operated by a crankshaft in such a manner that on removing the top of the table the frame serves as a complete washing machine; and the invention consists further in combining with the crankshaft, which serves to operate the rubber, a double rotary hook for the purpose of wringing the clothes, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawin s.

represents the frame of a common table supported by legs B, and provided with a solid bottom C, so as to form a water tight box or tub. The top D, is placed loosely on the frame, and it may be fastened to the same by means of a screw. Slats a, on both ends serve to keep it in its place.

The bottom C, of the frame is furnished with a conical aperture b, which forms the seat for the conical portion of a flanged screw c, that serves to retain the washboard E, in its place. The screw c, is fastened by a nut (Z, underneath the bottom of the frame A, and when this nut is secrewed up, the aperture b, is closed perfectly water-tight. The surface of the washboard is corrugated, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, so that the clothes placed on it receive a thorough rubbing in the manner of common hand-washing. The rubber F, is placed over the washboard. It is attached by means of springs e, to a frame G, which receives a reciprocating motion through the agency of a double crankshaft f. The cranks g, of this shaft are secured to one end of the frame G, and its other end is held down by oscillating hooks 71,.

By turning the crankshaft the frame G, together with the rubber assume a reciprocating motion, and as the end of the frame G, moves up and down under the action of the cranks, the pressure exerted by the rubber on the washboard is varied according to t-he position of the cranks. At the same time the other end of the frame G, is held down at the same distance from the washboard by means of the hooks 71 and if the crankshaft is turned in the direction of the arrow marked near it in Fig. l, the clothes work themselves through from one end of the washboard to the other, being rubbed and squeezed and thoroughly cleaned by the time they have passed over the whole surface of the washboard. When my table is to be used as a washing machine, the top is taken off, and the washboard is secured in its place by means of the screws c, and the frame G, is secured to the hooks h. The frame A, is now filled with water and soapsuds in the usual manner and the washing proceeds.

For wringing the clothes I secure to the top of the frame G, and to that end of the same which is held down by the hooks h, a rotary double hook H, attached to an arbor z', which has its bearing in a box j, on the top of the frame G. Thus it will be seen that the position of this hook is opposite the crankshaft f, and if a piece of cloth is to be wrung, it is doubled up around the crankshaft f, and its ends are pulled through the hook H, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, in red outlines. By rotating the arbor i, the cloth is twisted and the water is expelled.

This device is very convenient for housekeepers as it serves for the double purpose of a table and of a washing machine, and it does its washing as perfect as can be done by hand.

I am aware that washing machines have been combined with tables in a manner similar to my device and I do not therefore claim broadly the combination of a table With a erating substantially as and for the purpose Washing machine; but, specified.

Having thus fully described my inven- 2. The combination with the crankshaft 7, V tion, what I claim as new and desire to seand rubber carrying frame G, of the double f5 5 cure by Letters Patent, is* rotary hook I-I, substantially in the manner 15 1. The arrangement of the corrugated and for the purpose speced. stationary Washboard E, and the corrugated WILLIAM GOWEN. e reciprocating spring rubber F, in combina- IVitnesses: tion with the double crankshaft f, hooks it, HIRAM CALKINS, 10 and frame A of a table constructed and op- HENRY GOWEN. 

